The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) and Cooley's Anemia Foundation are planning an important 3.5-day conference entitled, "Ninth Cooley's Anemia Symposium." This meeting will be held in October, 21-24, 2009 at the New York Academy of Sciences Conference Center in New York City. The principal investigator for this grant is Elliott Vichinsky MD, Director, Hematology/Oncology at the Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, CA. Co-chair on the scientific organizing committee is Ellis Neufeld, MD, PhD, Associate Chief, Div. Of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Boston. The scientific goals of the Ninth Cooley's Anemia Symposium involve the presentation and dissemination of current findings, and discussing future directions for basic and clinical research in thalassemia, genetic disorders that cause anemia. The program will address recent advances in: 1) Iron Regulation and Metabolism;2) Gene Regulation and Therapy;3) Nutrition and Antioxidant Therapies;4) Iron Overload and Chelation Therapy;5) Iron Imaging;6) New Advances In Stem Cell Transplantation;7) New Therapy For Hemoglobin F;8) Cardiac Dysfunction;9) Clinical Syndromes in Thalassemia and Disease Severity;and 10) The Adult Thalassemia Patient. The symposium will integrate basic science and clinical research so that both bench researchers and clinicians can develop a mutual understanding of recent progress in thalassemia. Participants will include both established and young career scientists, providing a platform for young scientists to enter this field. Furthermore, this conference is expected to increase communication and subsequent collaboration between complimentary research groups. Conference attendees should achieve an understanding of the molecular biology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical care and psychosocial management of thalassemic disorders. A combination of keynote addresses, lectures, workshops, panel discussions, and poster presentations will provide a comprehensive overview of progress in the understanding and treatment of thalassemia. We anticipate that the conference will attract wide participation among senior investigators, post-doctoral fellows, and industry scientists working in the fields of molecular biology, cell biology, hematology, bone marrow &stem cell transplantation, epidemiology, iron biochemistry &chelation, and transfusion medicine. (End of Abstract)